A little girl and a delinquent
by MuteFan
Summary: Cover Image by artist @cslucaris. The story of a girl who has been befallen by a tragic fate. Her story of despair and hate. And, hopefully, salvation.
1. Chapter 1

A little girl, sitting in the corner of a dimly lit room. In the corner opposite to her stands a dusty old bed, next to it a small stool with a half burned down candle sitting on top. Otherwise the room is empty. No windows, just a big, heavy door. The girl can't remember for how long she's been sitting on the floor, but she's scared and cold. The rags she's forced to wear fail to keep her warm and the thin blanket she took from the bed isn't warming her much either. But it gives her the feeling of being sheltered, of being save, a feeling she has desperately been clawing for for as long as she can remember. It's temporary, but it's all she has, especially now in the darkest of times. Even after all that she's been through these past few weeks, she can still remember what it was like before she got taken here. She remembers. Faintly, but she remembers.

* * *

She would sit on sidewalks all over the city of Vale, changing locations every couple days whenever a police officer told her she couldn't stay where she was, begging the people that passed by for money. Most would just pass by without paying her any mind, but there was the occasional kind soul that spared some of their Lien. Some days she collected more Lien, some days less, but at the end of each day there was always some in her small, rusty can she collected the money in. On each day whether or not she would survive till the next day was uncertain, but she survived. She froze during the nights and sometimes didn't eat for days until she found something at least slightly edible in a dumpster or collected enough Lien to buy half a loaf of bread. Her last wardrobe change was so long ago she couldn't even remember it and most days she felt miserable, but she survived. And surviving is all she wanted.

_*One day life has to get better, right?*_

This had been her life for as long as she could recall, until one day this man came along. Usually pedestrians would give her a few Lien at best, but he gave her enough to last her for days. He didn't say much, just smiled at her as he put the money in her small, rusty can.

_*W-what? T-this much?*_

She looked at him confused, but grateful.

"Just don't spend it all at once, kid."

Not sure whether or not he was joking she slowly nodded, grabbing her can and marveling at the amount of Lien she now owned. Then he left without another word. It wasn't a one time event either. He kept coming back, multiple times a week. Even when she'd changed locations he always seemed to find her. She started anticipating him, looking for his distinctly orange hair in the crowd, listening for his cane's distinct sound it made when it hit the ground, perking up whenever she saw him coming around the corner. She didn't just care about his money though. She enjoyed the few moments when he kneeled down to put his Lien in her small, rusty can; she cherished his smile whenever he was approaching, smiling back at him every time. Normally people would just throw her some Lien and then go about their business. He talked to her, made her feel like she was more than just a rat on the side of the street, depending on the help of others to survive.

This went on for a couple weeks. He visited her, brought her money, food and even a blanket to make it easier through the night. She had hoped, believed this would go on forever. She really did.

One evening; her new friend as she'd liked to think of him as, had already come and gone; she was preparing to leave the street and find a sleeping spot in a park or an abandoned alley. As she was collecting her can and the few items she had been gifted, she suddenly heard a car approaching. As she looked up she could already see the headlights getting brighter. A car this late was nothing too special, the district she begged in that day wasn't exactly downtown, but it wasn't very unusual for a couple of them to pass through even this late. This car didn't pass her however.

_*Huh?*_

To the surprise of the little girl, it stopped right next to her. Nobody got out of the car though, so the girl hurried to get her things together and leave. She decided it would be best to leave the street as quickly as possible and rushed towards a nearby alley. As she entered the alley she looked back at the car.

_*Who are those people? What are they doi-*_

Before she could even finish her thought she felt a dull pain striking her head and surging through her body as she felt herself falling to the ground.

A young sounding voice: "Hey Boss! I think I got her!"

She hears car doors open. A gruff voice answers: "You sure? We wouldn't want her to wake up anytime soon."

"Yeah, I got her good!"

A third, less rough voice speaks up: "Shit, she's bleeding. You goddamn moron! Get her in the car!"

The last thing the girl feels are hands lifting up her helpless body as she fades into unconsciousness.

* * *

_*Why? Why did it have to be me?*_

She has spent countless hours in this dimly lit room, asking herself that very question. She has yet to find an answer.

Suddenly she hears footsteps coming towards the door to the room. As soon as she realizes them she snaps out of her thoughts and pushes herself further into the corner.

_*NO...*_

A key slides into the door's lock, unlocking the old, heavy door.

This is the moment she always dreads, every time she gets locked back into this room.

_*Please... No...*_

The moment she has to leave it again.

"WAKE UP SCRAP!" A brute slams open the door, shouting in a very deep voice. As he enters he immediately spots her in the corner and starts slowly approaching her. He seems annoyed.

"Come on already! Another customer is waitin'! We gotta get you clean before we go!"

He rips the blanket away from her, grabs her on her tattered rags and lifts her up over his shoulder.

_*NO! PLEASE, NO! NOT AGAIN! PLEASE!*_

The girl's struggling doesn't even seem to bother the brute as he carries her out of the room.

"Come on, you've been through this enough times at this point. You know you ain't gettin' away!"

He's right. She has been through this many times at this point. She knows what's coming. But that doesn't make it any less terrifying, any less disgusting. Or any less painful.

* * *

"Now, you get in there and make sure you look passable while I go get myself something to eat!", he says as he practically throws the girl into a bathroom. "You know the drill! When I come back you better be done!" His last words as he closes and locks the door. As she hears his footsteps move away from the door she slowly gets up from the floor she has been pushed on. The girl is shaking out of fearful anticipation of what's to come. She hates this bathroom, hates these people, but she has no other choice but to comply, after all, what can she do against them?

She slowly walks towards the small shower in the corner of the room. Just like the rest of the room it is very bare-bones, just a small deepening in the floor with a showerhead just out of her reach. She removes the rags she's wearing and gets below the showerhead, instinctively reaching for the cold-water valve. She knows the hot water doesn't work. As she is standing there, cold water raining down on her head and running down her shaking spine, she looses herself in thought for a moment.

_*I would have loved this a couple weeks back... I would have given everything I had for a chance to experience even a cold shower just did they have to ruin this? Why couldn't they have just left me in the dirt... Why?...*_

She feels tears welling up in her eyes. But she only has a limited amount of time and if she doesn't get done in time, she knows she would be punished. She had only made that mistake once and was not going to make it again. She had to prevent that at all costs. And so she grabs the sponge off the floor and starts scrubbing.

It doesn't take her long and she quickly gets out of the shower, walking over to a sink where a towel was waiting for her. As she dries her body and face she takes a look in the mirror. Back at her stare a pair of white, gloomy eyes accented with noticeable eye bags. The person they belong to is visibly exhausted, near the end of hope. She had seen her reflection before in shop- or car windows, so she knows how different the two reflections are. Back then, even on bad days she had never looked this miserable, because she knew if she just survived, tomorrow might be brighter. But now, she's scared of surviving until tomorrow.

_*It will never end, will it? I'll never leave this place... I'll die here, won't I?*_

The brute's footsteps are returning. She hastily rubs her pink and brown hair dry, while she hears the door unlocking.

"I'm back and you better be ready! We're runnin' behind schedule here!"

She just gets done with her hair as he slams open the door. She barely manages to hide behind the towel in time before he stands in the doorway eyeing her.

"You're gonna wear this." He throws her a short, simply cut white dress.

"Not that it matters what you wear. NOW HURRY THE HELL UP!"

Startled, she quickly gets in the dress. It's one of a few that she's worn before. With a grunt, the brute turns around and walks away. The girl follows, knowing that not doing so would only lead to more suffering.

She follows him through the same corridor, she's walked through many times before. Too many times. At the end of it another man is already waiting for them. He looks younger than the brute, a bit taller and less muscular.

His voice isn't nearly as deep as the brute's:

"We good?"

"Yeah, she's ready to go. Where are we takin' her again?"

"New customer, lives at the city limit. Ride's gonna take a bit, maybe 30 minutes."

"Oh, great... Hey, you hear that pipsqueak? You might get to relax a bit before... let's call it 'work'."

She wouldn't.

"Anyway, let's go."

The brute pushes her in front of him and they leave the corridor into a garage. In it only an old looking car and a workbench with various tools. The girl gets shoved into the backseat by the brute as the younger one enters the driver seat and starts the car. After the brute enters next to him, the garage door sweeps open and they drive into the night towards a nightmare once more.

* * *

The drive there is agonizing, as it always is. Just this time, it's longer than usual. After a long time of silence the brute is the first to speak up:

"How much longer is this gonna take?"

"We're almost there. Should be right around the corner."

_*We're almost there? No... Can't we go just a little longer? Please, not yet...*_

The car pulls up into a block of apartment buildings and stops next to an alleyway leading into a courtyard. As her captors are about to leave the car, the young one's scroll starts ringing.

"Aw shit. It's the Boss. You go on ahead, I'll have to take this call."

The brute nods, gets out of the car and turns to open her door.

"Come on, we're here. Time to go meet your new friend."

_*He's not my friend... None of them are...*_

She hesitates to get out. The brute gets visibly upset with her.

"Oh, come on already! Not like this is your first time! Come here!" He reaches for her, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her out of the car.

"Keep it down back there for crying out loud!" the younger one orders them from the front. "Or do you want people to notice what we're doing here?"

The brute grunts at him, then closes the car door and drags the girl with him into the courtyard.

"Now keep it quiet you brat! If we're discovered and have to blow this off, you will be the one to pay for our losses, understood?"

She seems to calm down, not because she's actually calm, but out of fear.

"See, there you go. Easier this way, isn't it?" at this point they have entered the empty courtyard and the brute is dragging her straight towards the entrance to one of the buildings.

"Maybe today will finally be the day when you stop resisting so damn much." They are halfway to the door.

_*No...*_

"I'm sure it'll be all fine in the end."

_*No. it is never fine in the end. It always keeps hurting. No matter what.*_

"I heard this one is a nice guy. Sound good?" They are only a few feet from the door.

_*No, it never sounds good. Nice guy? None of them are nice. None of them have ever been nice.*_

"Yeah, i'm sure he'll be real gentle. Treat you real nice."

_*No. I don't want this! I don't want any of this! Just leave me be! Just let me die already!*_

She musters all of her strength and rips herself from his grip. She stumbles backwards a bit, he looks at her with a mix of shock and anger in his eyes, although it quickly turns to only anger. She turns around and runs as fast as she can away from him, going straight for the exit of the courtyard. Just away from him. But she doesn't get very far as only a few feet from where she started running she feels a hand grip her arm very tightly.

"YOU GODDAMN RAT! HOW MANY TIMES TO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS?! YOU! BELONG! TO US NOW!"

He spins her around and lands a heavy punch in her gut. Writhing in pain, she goes to the ground. Suddenly a loud whistle, followed by what sounds like a small explosion breaks through the night.

"What the?!" Still livid the brute looks up into the partially lit courtyard. His gaze scans the entire area and then stops at the alleyway the two came from. He calls out for his partner. No answer.

"Come on, something tells me we should leave." He reaches down for the sobbing girl when suddenly, a soft, charming voice seems to address him:

"It's a beautiful night, wouldn't you say?"

"What!? Who said that?! I don't have time for this!" the brute answers, looking around to find the source of the voice.

"The cold air is so refreshing. Perfect conditions for a gentleman to take a woman out for dinner or to the cinema." As they said that a figure walks out of the alleyway and into the light cone of one of the lamps in the courtyard. "And yet you decided to take an innocent little girl out here, in the middle of the night, to the middle of nowhere. And I can't help, but wonder why." The girl's pain eases up a little and she is able to look up. As soon as she sees who her savior is, her mouth can't help but form a weak smile. Orange hair, those green eyes, the white coat and his cane. She knew him; he had given her hope before.

"This is none of your business. Now leave or you'll regret it." The brute steps between the girl and her savior.

He lets out a sigh. "I was kidding. I know why you two are here. And let me assure you, I won't be regretting anything tonight." he is nearing the brute. "You on the other hand. You are not gonna be that lucky."

A few feet away from the brute he comes to a stop.

"Hrgh... I ain't got the time for this..." Without further warning the brute takes a mighty swing at her friend, who avoids the attack only by inches. Now repositioned, he launches his cane right into the brute's stomach area, causing him to wince. Pressing the attack he immediately takes his cane in both hands and brings it down on the brutes head, knocking him out and sending him to the ground. During the fight the girl moves away from the two of them a good few feet.

_*He's back! He.. came back for me!*_

Her friend shifts his attention to the girl, who is sitting in the dirt just a few feet away from him. She is looking up at him in disbelieve and awe.

"Hey kid." he kneels down next to her. "I thought I'd check in with you again. How are ya'?"

A few seconds pass. They feel like years to the girl.

_*I-it's over. He... he saved me! I-i-i...*_

She doesn't even know what to think anymore, that's how overwhelmed she is.

"A little shy, hm?" he said jokingly. She suddenly jumps forward locking him into an embrace. "Huh?" Tears start streaming down her cheeks. This time, they are tears of joy.

_*Thank you.*_


	2. Chapter 2

After the initial shock of her sudden display of affection and after realizing she's crying, he returns her hug and for a while, they just sit there. A man, though practically a stranger to the girl, she considers him her dearest, her only friend; holding the fragile, battered body of a sobbing girl, who's come from nothing and has gone through hell, now finally in a save, comforting presence.

His soothing voice manages to calm her down: "Hey, it's alright. You're save now." A few moments, maybe minutes pass until he lets go of her. Although reluctantly, she also lets go of him.

"Come on now." he says as he wipes away her tears with his thumb. "I say we get you out of here for now. This cold can't be good for you."

At that moment a gust of wind sends chills through the little girl's body. She shivers visibly and nods at him. He returns a smile.

"Uh... Hugh..." The brute seems to be starting to regain consciousness. Her friend takes a judging look over his shoulder, estimating how much longer the brute'll stay down.

"And we need to get you away from him. Away from this place."

He stands back up and offers her his hand. "I'd suggest you stay at my place for a bit. Until we've found someplace save for you. How's that sound?"

_*Someplace... save?*_

She looks up to him, that sad smile of relief still on her face, hesitates for a second and reaches for his hand. But before she can reach it, a loud grumbling sound erupts from her stomach. Embarrassed, she holds her belly.

"Heh. You know I'm not the best cook out there, but I'm sure I could whip up something edible for ya'." Another warm smile directed at the girl.

_*That'd be nice...*_

With that she finally takes his hand.

* * *

They make their way back out the courtyard through the alley they entered from. The street is still empty. No cars coming by, no pedestrians out on a night walk. Aside from a few trees every so often and the occasional flickering lamp post, only the old car she was taken here with can be seen parking on the side of the road. In it the girl spots a figure, seemingly staring down the road. The moment she realizes who that figure is, she springs back behind her friend, trembling at the thought of being caught again.

"Don't worry. He's not gonna hurt anyone anymore. Besides, I am here to protect you, aren't I?"

Reassured, she steps next to him again and they continue along the sidewalk. Passing the car, she gathers all her courage and decides to take a closer look at who's sitting in the driver seat. She can only see inside the car for a split second and with just the moonlight illuminating the night she can hardly see more than the abstract shape of a man. That, and the moonlight reflecting off a red substance covering one side of the man. He doesn't move an inch.

_*Is he...?*_

"Never gonna hurt anyone ever again..." Her friend says under his breath while they are passing. "My car's right around the corner. We'll be out of here in no time."

Directing her attention away from the body, they turn the corner. Roughly the same picture unfolds before her: No pedestrians, no cars driving by, trees lining the sidewalk. On this street however, the trees are accompanied by the occasional car, parking on the side of the road. The two approach the first car on the street, a plain looking, white two-seater. He opens the passenger seat door for her.

"Hop on in. It's only a short drive to my apartment."

Still a bit cautious, she enters the passenger seat and he closes the door.

_*I think I might... like this. But what comes next? He said he'll find someplace save for me. But what if-*_

The other car door clicks open, causing the girl to instinctively recoil deeper into the seat, away from the opening door.

"It's just me, calm down." Her friend assures her as he's climbing into the seat and starts the car. They take off and drive past the villain's car back the direction they came from, back towards the heart of Vale.

They drive in silence for a few minutes. He keeps his eyes on the road for the most part, but can't help and take peeks at the girl sitting next to him in his passenger seat. Her small body barely covers half the surface of the seat, her knees are up to her chest, her arms around them. Her white dress is covered in dirt and she stares blankly out the window into the night, seemingly deep in thought. And he can't really fault her for that. After all, he can't even begin to understand what she went through these past couple weeks, how much pain she had to endure. And at such a young age too. Even before she got taken she had to live on the streets for who knows how long. If only he had found her sooner.

"Hey, kid?" Suddenly ripped out of thought, she turns her head to face him. "I'm sorry." Her expression turns from surprised to confused.

_*Why would you be sorry? You saved me!*_

"I'm sorry that I didn't find you sooner. That I didn't get you off the streets when I had the chance. I can't imagine what you had to go through." She looks at him shocked.

_*He is blaming himself?!*_

"If I had just stepped in sooner, I could have..." Before he can finish his sentence the girl starts shaking her head furiously. "Huh? What is it?" Now kneeling on the seat, she starts gesturing with her hands. She raises them over her head and strikes them downward as if she was holding a sword or cane. She then points back down the road in the direction they are coming from; then at the car. She finishes her little act by showing him a thumbs-up.

He gives her a slightly confused look. "You think I did... good?" She nods her head, looking at him proudly. "You're just glad it's over, right?" She keeps nodding and gives him a trusting smile.

_*He understood!*_

"Yeah. I guess that is all that matters now." He seems relieved. "You're not very talkative, are ya'? That's not... because of them, is it?" Again she shakes her head and sits back down properly. "So life just dealt ya' a bad hand, huh? I know the feeling."

They are now starting to encounter more and more cars passing them. They must be getting closer to downtown. "Come to think of it, I never told you my name, did I?" Her curiosity peaked, she looks at him and shakes her head. She never even wondered what his name was before. He turns to her and makes a dramatic gesture: "I'm Roman Torchwick, master of thievery and the bettin' game." He gives her a cheeky smile; she just looks at him amazed.

_*Roman. Torchwick. I like that...*_

"You got a name too kid?" Looking a little dejected she shakes her head. "Well, I can't just keep calling you kid, that's for sure. We gotta come up with a good, fitting name. You have to see the positives: You have the chance to choose a name that you like and aren't stuck with what your parents gave you." Just as he says that he pulls onto the side of the road. "But that'll have to wait a little longer, don't want to rush it. Besides, we're here."

* * *

"Can you get out by yourself?" A little annoyed she nods at him. Once the two leave the car, she first takes in her surroundings. They stopped in a quiet neighborhood, cornering on an intersection; the streets illuminated by regular lamp posts and cars parking in front of almost every building. Small trees are planted at the corners of the intersection, giving the area a more pleasant look. The buildings all seem to be massive apartment buildings.

"It's this one, right here." He walks towards the apartment building he parked the car in front of.

_*I never thought I'd ever enter one of these!*_

As he unlocks the front door she eagerly waits behind him, bouncing up and down, brimming with excitement. As he opens the door he notices her enthusiasm. "Hey, no need to get too excited. It's not exactly a pristine mansion I got here." As he says that she slumps down a little. Realizing his misstep he tries to salvage her mood: "I didn't say don't get excited at all, kid. You _are_ about to enter the humble abode of the mastermind of Vale." With that he leads the way into the stairwell of the building. Right after him follows the little girl and the moment she steps into the building her eyes begin to glow with excitement again. She immediately takes off to investigate the interior. "Just keep away from the doors. This neighborhood isn't terrible, but you never know." He confidently takes his usual route to his apartment, never letting the girl get too far away or out of his sight. She, on the other hand runs around the complex, inspecting every nook and cranny.

_*It's all so clean! I didn't expect the walls to be so high! But they feel so rough. Why would you want such rough walls?*_

Like a tiny bundle of energy she bounces around from wall to wall, from door to door. Roman can't help but giggle a little. It's been a while since he's seen that much energy in a child. "Well, ready for the main event?" Stopping dead in her tracks the girl turns around to face him, standing directly in front of a door. "This has all just been the boring old stairwell. Now this, is the real deal." He opens the door and, after stepping in to turn on the lights, steps back out to stand beside it, letting the girl take the first step into his home. She slowly enters, making sure to take in the entirety of it. The first thing she notices is the room's warmth engulfing her. It's cozyness draws her further into the room and before she realizes it, she is standing in the middle of it. From there she looks around the room. With the entrance behind her; in front of her and on her right are two closed doors. In between those in the corner stands a tall shelf with all sorts of items stashed in it. Once she turns around further she spies a big, fluffy looking couch sitting in the corner next to the entrance with a small table in front of it, facing a medium sized TV on the other side of the room.

"I told you it's nothing special." Roman says while entering himself. "But, judging from the look on your face, you're quite impressed." The girl, still looking around the room, starts nodding slowly.

_*This is what a home looks like? It's so warm. It feels so... save.*_

Roman hangs up his hat and cane on a hatstand next to the entrance and moves towards the door on the other side of the room. "So, I promised you some food, didn't I?" He enters the next room, the kitchen. The girl promptly follows. The kitchen is small compared to the previous room, only furnished with a small fridge in the corner, adjacent to a kitchenette. In the other corner, below one of two windows, stands a dining table with three chairs. Roman is already checking the contents of his fridge. "I usually eat out, so I don't have much to work with here." He takes out some vegetables and moves them to the stove before returning his attention back to the fridge. "But, that has never stopped me before." He notices her standing in the door frame, still wearing that dirty, white dress. "You know, this'll take a while. Why don't you hop under the shower in the meantime?"

_*What?!*_

The girl fixes her eyes on him and takes a step back, lifting her hands into a defensive position.

_*A shower?! Why?!*_

Picking up on her extreme unease towards his suggestion, Roman calmly insures her of his intentions. "Well, walking around in those dirty clothes must be awful." She looks down at herself. She's used to wearing filthy clothes, but that doesn't mean they are in any way pleasant to wear. "Besides, a hot shower might be just what you need. To calm the nerves and clean the slate. Wash away the filth of the past, if you will." She looks up at him, still concerned. "Trust me kid, whatever they made you do, you won't have to do that here. Never again. You're save with me. If it would make you feel better, there's a lock on the bathroom door. Doesn't need a key, only opens from the inside." She lowers her gaze, weighing her options.

_*Maybe a hot shower would be nice... Ok, I'll... trust you.*_

She gives him a nod. Seeing how his attempt to calm her down has worked, he tries to lighten the mood a little. "Besides, you're going to stay here for a bit, so I can't have you tracking dirt everywhere, now can I?" A cheeky smile grows on his face as her cheeks suddenly turn red with embarrassment. "The bathroom is through the bedroom; that's the other room. In there is a wardrobe. You can pick out some of my clothes to wear. They're not gonna fit you, but they're better than the dress you wear now. The dress you can just... leave in the bathroom. I'll take care of it later." With those directions she turns around and he turns back to the fridge.

* * *

Back in the living room, she walks to the other, still closed, door. Entering the bedroom, the first thing she sees, after finding and flipping the light switch, is a bed against the wall in the middle of the room. The sight of the bed has her recoil back out of the room, driven by a shaking panic rising in her body. She starts hyperventilating. Over the past weeks she had developed a severe revulsion towards beds. For her, beds tended to be where the pain became unbearable.

_*Calm down. Calm. Down. It's just a bed. There is no one else here but you. No one will come this time. It's over...*_

Talking herself down, her breathing slows down and she regains full control over her body. Now knowing what lay ahead, she steps back into the bedroom. Aside from the bed, which stands below a window, there was, just as Roman said, a wardrobe sitting in the corner. As she approaches it she makes sure to keep as much distance between her and the bed as possible. Safely arriving at the wardrobe she opens one of the drawers. In it she finds multiple, mostly black shirts and a few black pants. She takes out one of the shirts. Upon touching it she feels the sudden urge to rub it on her face.

_*It's so soft!*_

Resisting the urge, she decides to open the other, smaller drawer, it's contents consisting of socks and underwear. She quickly takes out a pair of socks and immediately closes the drawer again. Having secured new clothing she turns to, what she presumes to be, the door to the bathroom. She enters the bathroom and first checks if there really is a lock on the door. There is. After turning on the light, closing the door and locking it she shakes the door handle, making sure the door really is locked.

_*He was right. It does feel safer.*_

Only now does she inspect the bathroom. After getting used to the bare minimum, this bathroom feels like it belongs to a king. The shower isn't just a curtainless deepening in the floor, it has semi-see through curtains and a proper shower tray with shower gel and shampoo bottles. On the floor lies an orange bathroom rug that, when she stands on it, feels like it's hugging her feet. The sink is clean and holds bottled soap. He even has towel holders with clean towels on the wall. She puts her borrowed clothes on top of the toilet seat, next to the shower and takes off the dress. Looking at it now, the memories slowly come flooding back. All the suffering, all the humiliation and misery she had to endure while wearing these dresses, all of it creeps it's way back into the present.

_*No. No more. Those times are over now. And they'll never come back.*_

Disgusted, she throws the dress into the corner.

_*He promised me that.*_

The girl steps into the shower and closes the curtains. Her hand automatically grasps for the cold-water valve, but she hesitates before turning it.

_*Right. Hot water.*_

Her hand slides over to the warm-water valve and turns it. Right away hot water rains down onto her. Shocked by how hot it actually is, she jumps out of the stream and grabs the cold-water valve to cool the water down. It takes her a bit, but soon enough she has regulated the water to a warm, comfortable temperature. For a while she closes her eyes and just enjoys the sensation.

_*So this is how it feels. It's so... comforting.*_

A bright smile starts beaming on her face.

_*Me, taking a warm shower. Who'd have thought I'd ever get to do that? Is life, after everything, finally taking a turn for the better? I hope so. No. With him protecting me, I believe so.*_

She opens her eyes. The water is streaming down her face, making her tears of joy almost not noticeable.

_*They didn't ruin this after all.*_

After taking a few more moments bathing in bliss, she eventually starts cleaning the dirt off her body and hair. She also takes her time with that, reveling in the, to her foreign, smell of the shampoo.

The girl takes her long deserved time, but eventually does decide to step out of the shower. Stepping out on the rug, she grabs one of the towels, with which she quickly dries herself. She is in no rush, however she hasn't forgotten the soft texture of the shirt she took with her and can't wait to put it on. All her life she only wore cheap, mostly old and used rags. Never before did she have the chance to try actually comfortable clothes. And so, when she puts on the shirt, even though it is much to big for her, reaching down to her knees, with sleeves too long by about one hand length, she cherishes the moment.

_*This... this... it's so fluffy! Is this what it's like to sleep in a cloud?*_

While snuggling into the shirt she spies the socks, still lying on the toilet seat. She snatches them up and scrambles to put them on. Rarely did she wear socks during her time on the streets; most of the time she only had old, tattered shoes to cover her feet, if anything. And certainly did she never cover her feet with fabric so soft.

Before leaving and returning to Roman she takes a look in the mirror. Looking back at her is a small, smiling child.

_*Hey, when was the last time I was... like this? Happy? Was I ever... happy before? Happy like this?*_

Not able to find an answer, she decides to leave those questions for another day and leaves the bathroom.

* * *

By stepping back in the bedroom, the girl transitions from one new sensation into another.

_*What's that smell?*_

Following the scent, she leaves the bedroom, walking close to the wall to make sure she's far from the bed, and makes her way back into the kitchen. Waiting there for her is Roman, placing a plate of food on the dining table. He had taken off his suit, revealing a black shirt underneath. Seeing her walk in in her new clothes makes him chuckle, maybe a bit too loud. "Ha! Well, I did say they'd be too big for ya'." She pouts at him, crossing her arms in front of her. "I'm just messin' with ya', kid. How's it feel? Did the shower do any good?" Smiling, she nods at him, patting her shirt. "Told ya'." He takes out a fork and a knife from a drawer and puts them next to the plate on the table. "I think I did an alright job with this. But please, you be the judge." Still bewitched by the smell, she sits down at the table; he had put a rather large cushion on the chair. Before even taking the first bite she has to pause.

_*WOW! How is this possible? It looks even better than it smells! And I... can eat that?!*_

For a solid few seconds she sits there, looking at the steak in awe as she slowly starts to drool. Never before had she seen such rich colors in food. The outside of the steak is a woody brown, while the inside shines in a light pink. It's accompanied by orange and yellow slices of something she had never seen before. The whole dish is still steaming.

"Do you... know how to use these?" He's pointing at the fork and knife. Shifting her attention from the food to the eating utensils, she remembers seeing some of them them before, dirtier ones in trashcans, but she never figured out what they were used for. Puzzled, she shakes her head. "Alright, let me show you then." He walks over to her, picks up the fork and knife and squads down next to her to be at eye level. "So, you hold the fork like this and the knife like this. Then you pierce the meat with the fork and start cutting it with the knife." All throughout his explanation and demonstration she kept her eyes on his hands and the utensils, making sure to remember every movement. "Simple, isn't it? You got all that?" A nod. Content, he sits down on a chair next to her. A little hesitant she picks up the fork and knife and uses them like Roman had just shown her. The first bite on the fork she first glances at Roman, who gives her a reassuring nod, and then eats her first piece of steak. While chewing the soft meat, the inside of her mouth feels like hundreds of small explosions of flavor are going off. She feels like she might pass out because of the intense amount of goodness.

_*This! Is! Nothing like the bread I always ate! This... this... this is amazing! How can something taste so good?!*_

After the first bite the second is sure to follow. Then the third and the fourth, the pace at which she eats getting faster with each bite. "Slow down kid! Or else you'll-" On her sixth bite she finally chokes. "Yeah, that." After composing herself, she decides to slow down for the rest of the steak. "Come to think of it, we never came up with a name for you." The girl looks up from her food, not stopping eating. "Let's see... It should be something fitting. Something unique to you." He leans back in his chair and looks at her intricately for a couple minutes, while she continues eating. "AHA!" he exclaims all of a sudden, startling her. "Sorry, but I just found the perfect name!" Intrigued she follows him with her eyes as he walks towards the fridge. He takes something out of it and puts it on the table in front of her. It's a pint of ice-cream with the name _Neapolitan _written on it. "It has your colors! Pink and brown hair and white eyes!"

_*Hm... he's not wrong, but-*_

"Although we can't just call you Neapolitan. That'd be a bit... on the nose. How about _Neopolitan_, or Neo for short. To celebrate the beginning of your _new _life. How's that sound?"

.

.

.

_*Neo...*_

_._

_._

_._

She was stunned, dumbfounded and, if she weren't already, speechless. A few moments, then minutes pass; both Roman and the girl just staring at each other. Then, after a while, her mouth slowly forms a shaking smile and tears start gathering in her eyes.

_*N-n-neo... I... He... All this, I... Why... How did I-*_

"Are... you ok?" He slowly approaches and kneels down beside her. "If you don't like it, we can-" She jumps up off the chair at him, throwing her arms around him, pressing her sobbing face against his body. The impact almost makes him fall over backwards. "Whoa! Guess you do like it?" Still shaking with joy, she nods, smearing her tears and snot over his shirt. Chuckling happily he says: "Glad you like it, _Neo_", and returns her hug.

* * *

When they arrived at Roman's apartment it was already pretty late, so after Neo had finished her meal and stopped hugging Roman, he decided they should rest up for the next day. He offered to sleep on the couch so that Neo could have the bed, but that idea was shot down the instant it was proposed. And so he gave her a, rather big, blanket and some pillows, with which she made herself a bed on the couch. Roman himself went to sleep in his bedroom, but left the door open in case she needed him. Now she lies there, on a fluffy couch, with her head on a soft pillow, body covered by a warm blanket.

_*This is really happening, isn't it? I'm really, finally save, aren't I?*_

She can feel the tears coming back, but not as strong this time.

_*It's because he cares. Because he's the first to ever care. Roman... He named me. Neo... He cared enough to give me a name. My own. I'll cherish this forever, cherish him forever...*_

But slowly she fades into a deep slumber, filled with dreams of tomorrow, of the next years, of life.

_*The pain is finally over. Now... it will all... be... good...*_


	3. Chapter 3

A little girl, Neo, awakes from her dreams to find herself back on a couch in a delinquent's, Roman Torchwick's, apartment. Even though the living room itself doesn't have any windows and the lights are off, Neo infers that it must already be at least noon, since the living room is brightly lit by the light coming from both the kitchen and the bedroom. She slowly gets up to sit on the couch.

_*Wow. Is it already this late? I've never slept this long! Or well!*_

She stretches her arms and legs and sends a big yawn into the sleeves of her oversized shirt.  
After getting up off the couch she, still a little dazed, walks towards the bedroom.

_*I wonder if he's awake.*_

In the bedroom she finds everything is in place. Everything but Roman, who is absent. Neo checks the bathroom, then the kitchen, but doesn't find him. Only when she returns from the kitchen into the living room does she notice a small note stuck to the front door. Neo picks it off the door and takes a slightly confused look at it.

_*What does this...?*_

On the little piece of paper two small, crude pictures are drawn. The upper one shows a little figure wearing a hat next to something barely resembling a city, with a sun above that city. An arrow is pointing from the figure to the city. The other picture shows the same with a few differences. The sun is lower and the arrow is pointing from the city to the figure.  
There are also a few symbols scribbled below the pictures, but Neo has no idea what they could mean.

_*So, he's gone into town in the morning? And he'll be back by sundown? I think that is what this means.*_

Still a bit unsure about the meaning of the note, she puts it back onto the door and sits back on the couch.

_*Well, he definitely isn't here. I mean, as the "Mastermind of Vale" I'm sure he has a lot of things to take care of.*_

She chuckles to herself, then looks around the room.

_*Well, I might as well take a look around. He did say I'll be staying for a while...*_

She jumps back down off the couch, ready to explore the apartment, as that thought crosses her mind again. She pauses for a second.

_*For a while... How long might that be? What if it's only a few more days? Then what? Where will I-*_

She decides to stop thinking about it. For now at least. Right now she has a whole apartment to get familiar with.

* * *

Determined, she steps in front of the tall shelf in the corner. She only briefly took a look at it before, but inspecting it more thoroughly now, she notices just how much stuff is stashed in it. There seems to be everything from magazines and books, over sets of cards and dice, to all sorts of miscellaneous trinkets.

She grabs a set of cards, held together by a rubber band and a few of the dice. After placing them on the table in front of the couch she returns to the shelf, seeking to get her hands on some of the items higher up on the shelf. She jumps a couple times, stretching her arms as much as possible, but to no avail. She pouts and makes a puff sound, silently cursing her short stature. Then an idea occurs to her.

_*I wonder if I can use...*_

In a quick pace she moves to the kitchen and grabs a chair, brings it back to the shelf, standing it in front of it and hops on it. She tries again to reach the upper parts of the shelf and this time she can almost reach it.

_*Come on! I'm so. Cloooose!*_

She stretches one last time with all her willpower and strength, standing on her toes, desperately reaching for something at the top of the shelf. As soon as she feels her hands touch something other than the wood of the shelf she grabs it and yanks it out, almost dropping off the chair in the process.

_*See, wasn't that hard.*_

She exhales heavily and takes a look at what item she has obtained. It's a magazine titled "Rogue". The cover shows a man dressed in a white suit and a woman dressed in a black dress. A couple different headlines are written on it.

_*"Rivalry in style". "The most influential women in Vale". Hm... I wonder what that's all about.*_

She takes the magazine back to the couch and places it next to the dice and cards. After sitting back down cross-legged, she decides to start her inspection with the cards.  
She takes off the rubber band and carefully flips through the 52 cards. As she takes a look at every card she learns the deck consists of 26 black cards, themed after Grimm and 26 red cards, themed after famous huntsmen and huntresses. Depicted in each corner is the suit; spades and clubs in black and hearts and crystals in red, and a number from 2-10 or an ace, king, queen or jack symbol below it. The middle of each card is adorned by a drawing of either a Grimm; the higher the rank of the card, the deadlier the Grimm; or a huntsmen or huntress. The cards seem to be in good condition, aside from a few scratches here and there.

_*Are these... Grimm? And Huntsmen?*_

Growing up inside the kingdom's walls, she had never actually seen a Grimm and only rarely encountered huntsmen. Occasionally passersby would talk about the adventures of certain huntsmen and huntresses, giving Neo an idea as to what they are; heroes, slaying monsters and saving people.  
But those heroes stayed out of her life for the most part, so she never really concerned herself with them much further. She had more important things to focus on, like not freezing to death in her sleep.

She takes a good look at every card, astonished by the amount of detail that has been put into the illustrations, shuddering at how nightmarish the Grimm were drawn and marveling at the noble aura the men and women wielding fantastical weapons were giving off.

After a while of flipping through and shuffling the cards she decides to put them aside and picks up the dice.  
There are six in total, three in solid red and three in solid blue. She doesn't notice anything special about the dice and just repeatedly shuffles them around from one hand into the other. Eventually she starts throwing them up into the air and trying to catch them.

_*Huh?*_

Slightly irritated, she looks at the red die she just caught. She throws another one, a blue one. Then a red one again.

_*The red ones are... heavier? How? They all look alike, aside from the color...*_

She takes another close look at every single die, trying to find out how some of them could be heavier. She finds no differences in appearance, but she does make an interesting discovery, after picking each red one up and fiddling with it one by one.

_*They're only heavier on one side, huh? So when you roll them, they should...*_

She rolls them, one by one, then all at the same time to confirm her suspicion.

_*They land on the same side every time!*_

She rolls the dice a few more times before sitting them back on the table, beaming, satisfied with herself that she has uncovered the mystery of the dice.

Looking back over the table the last item there, the magazine, catches her eye. She swoops it up and opens it somewhere in the middle. The page's header reads: "The Atlesian image reinvented". Displayed on the page itself are quite a few elegant pieces of attire. Mostly dresses, skirts and robes, all themed in black and white colors.

_*Ugh... No... Ngh...*_

Immediately upon seeing the multitude of dresses Neo starts feeling sick to her stomach and pearls of cold sweat start forming on her forehead. She forces her shivering hand to flip the page, breathing a heavy sigh of relief when the page flips and the dresses are gone from her sight.

_*Never again...*_

She closes her eyes and starts clutching her oversized shirt, the touch of the soft fabric calming her down. Eventually she opens her eyes and looks down at the magazine again. This next page seems to be a continuation of the previous page's theme, just that this one appears to be men's wear. Neo sees various suits, shirts and trousers in black and white colors. She can even spy a familiar looking white suit and black hat.

_*So this must be where he gets his clothes from.*_

Suddenly she hears a rattling at the door. Startled, she drops the magazine onto the floor, before jumping off the couch and hiding behind it

_*Who?! Roman?*_

After a few seconds of rattling and a few muffled curses, the door opens and in comes Roman, handling two plastic bags, one in each hand. Now knowing for sure it's Roman, Neo peeks out from behind the couch. "Oh. Good morning Neo. Had hoped you were awake already." He sets down the bags and closes the door behind him. "I brought us some food." Neo steps back out from behind the couch, curiously trying to get a glimpse at what he'd brought home. "And a few things for specifically you." He points to one of the bags, while picking up the other. "Might wanna look through it." He throws her a smile and a wink, then moves into the kitchen, taking a glance at the table while passing.

_*M-more for me?*_

Even more curious now, she steps next to the bag and takes a peek inside. In it is a bunch of clothing. All definitely too small for Roman. With her mouth agape she grabs inside and takes everything out one by one. There's firm jeans, smooth shirts, fluffy pullovers, even a few jackets and hats. "I thought I'd get you a few fitting things to wear. Wasn't sure what you'd like though, so I just took a bit more. Hope it fits." She turns around to his voice, to see him leaning in the doorway of the kitchen.

_*Bu-but! This must have cost so much! Never in my life can I wear all of it!*_

Big eyed she looks back and forth between him and the clothes, provoking a giggle from him. "But first, how about we eat?"

* * *

The kitchen table had already been set when Neo sits down at it. She doesn't know from where, but he had brought hot, steamy noodles. "I present to you: the specialty of 'A Simple Wok', the best noodle place in Vale." He says as he sits down, licking his lips.

After showing her how to properly use a fork with noodles, they both enjoy their meal. At first she has a bit of trouble keeping the noodles on the fork, but she learns very quickly, something Roman silently takes note of.

Maybe 20 minutes pass until they're done and Neo eagerly jumps off her chair, raring to go switch into new clothes. As she practically runs out of the room Roman, smirking, stays behind and leaves her to it, deciding to do the dishes first.

* * *

_*There's just so insanely much!*_

She is holding up different pairs of pants, comparing them to different sets of shirts and pullovers, to try and find the combo she likes the most. But after having worn rags for pretty much her entire life, every combination of clothes she could make seemed absolutely beautiful.

Finally she settled on a pair of dark jeans, a black shirt, a small white jacket and a pair of cute pink cloth shoes. Grinning, she looks down at the arrangement she had laid out. Then she hears a chuckle. "The colors look pretty familiar, don't they?" She turns around to Roman, who had again been standing in the door frame and nods proudly. "Oh? Did it on purpose, huh? Well, I _do_ have an incredible sense of style." Running his fingers through his hair with a smirk, he gives Neo a chuckle. "Well, put 'em on." With that he turns around again to give her some privacy. Quickly she takes off the oversized shirt and puts on her new threads.

"_Hm-hm!_"  
Surprised, Roman turns around to see Neo standing there with open arms, brightly smiling at him. This was the first time he had heard a noise come from this little girl. And such a cheerful first noise too. "Wow, not half bad. Fits you well." He goes to sit down on the couch and picks up the magazine off the floor. "Though you might have to grow into it a bit more."

_*Heh. If I ever keep growing.*_

"By the way, I'm glad you understood the note and found something to do in the meantime. I see you've been going through some of my stuff, huh?" He asks while rolling some of the dice between his fingers. Nodding, Neo sits down next to him, not letting her eyes off his hands skillfully playing with the dice.

"Heh." He picks up the deck of cards. "I got these from an old friend back in Mistral. Must have been a year or two ago. Hey, bet you I can guess any card in it."

_*Huh? Not a chance!*_

A challenging, confident smirk on her face, she accepts the challenge and he hands her the cards. "Just pick one and don't show it to me!" Neo clumsily shuffles the deck a few times, then takes the red heart ace from it, holding it in front of her face. "Good. Now, let me think..." Stroking his chin, Roman intently stares at the back of the card, while Neo looks back and forth between him and the ace, brimming with anticipation. Suddenly his face turns to a wide smirk. "The red heart ace."

_*What?! How did he?*_

Befuddled, she flips the card around to reveal it's the one he had called. Immediately she starts shuffling again and picks another card. "Wanna go again, hm? Ok then." The smirk on his face isn't vanishing as he confidently picks the black five spades. And again, as she turns the card, he's right.

_*What in the-? How did he do that?*_

Again she shuffles, again he picks right. And again, and again. Until Roman starts laughing. "I'll get it right every time, no matter how well you shuffle." In disbelief she puts the cards facing down in front of her on the couch. "Wanna know how?" She takes another good look at the cards before her. Not able to find the trick she slowly nods, but then she does notice something. "Ok. Well, you see as a master of gambling you can't rely entirely on your luck. So I-." As he reaches down to grab the cards, her small hand shoots forward and points at small scratches in the corners of each card.

_*They're marked!*_

Impressed he picks up the cards. "So I marked them. You figured that out? Clever... You're a very observant one, hm?" With a sly smirk of smug confidence on her face, she looks back at him, tapping her temple. "Hah. Don't get too cocky now. This deck is _old_. Nobody would be fooled by it these days. At least nobody in Vale."  
A small chuckle escapes him as he puts the cards back into a bundle and back on the table. Sighing he leans back and continues: "You know, they say Vale is the safest, most peaceful kingdom of Remnant, but it's not nearly as good as people claim. The crime world here isn't as big as Mistral's, but it's so much more professional. You have to have actual skill to survive here."

As he then looks over to the girl sitting next to him he realizes who he just said that to. The girl is kneeling on the couch, slumped over, looking down at her knees, a distant and sad expression printed on her face, only nodding slowly. "Oh, right. Sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound like praise for those guys. I'd hardly count them as criminals anyway. More like lowlife scum. A criminal like _me _has standards." Seeing that his speech didn't have much of an effect he tries a different approach.  
"Hey. I said Vale was bad, but it's not all bad. There are some really beautiful scenes worth seeing in this city. What do you say we take a stroll around town? Let me show you the good sides of Vale."

That seemed to work. Neo's head slowly perks up and she focuses on Roman as she contemplates the offer.

_*A different side to the city?*_

She had seen a few of those sides before. The shops, filled with pretty stuff or the wide, green parks. She had just always observed them from a distance.

_*It... would be nice to see all that.*_

She shudders.

_*But what if they find me again?*_

He could see her face slip into a more fearful expression. "There is a chance they'll be out there too, even if it's only slim." He looks over to the clothes now strewn across the floor, gets up and walks over to it to pick up a small brown beanie. "Here, with this covering your hair and the new clothes there's no way they'll recognize you." He walks over and puts it on her head, pulling it down a little too far. Giggling, she pulls the beanie up, uncovering her eyes.

_*Okay. If you say it'll work, then it'll work!*_

Excited she starts nodding at him and jumps off the couch, staring up at him. "Alright. Let's go show you around this place."

* * *

The rest of the day they spend strolling through the city, visiting streets full of shops and restaurants; beautiful parks and lakes; the big Valeian Market and even briefly took part in a small festival that was apparently going on currently.  
At first Neo felt timid, was wary of everything and everyone they passed by, sticking to her protector like a charm, but after a while, with the reassurance of Roman, she bloomed. Full enjoying herself, she made Roman stop at every shop window so they could enter and look at everything on the inside. He had to practically drag her away from a lot of the restaurants or else she would have stayed there, endlessly sniffing the smells of the dishes they served. Even back when she was still a beggar she could faint smell them from the outside, but the inside packed a much stronger, much more enchanting punch.  
The Valian Marketplace almost completely overwhelmed her. Dozens upon dozens of stands sitting next to each other, offering all sorts of food, trinkets, services and more. The master thief noticed how she stared at some specific trinkets and decided to use the chance to teach her a bit about sleight of hand even.  
She was especially enamored with the festival though. The seemingly hundreds of games, played by kids and adults alike; all the flashing, colorful lights and the laughter that surrounded everything there. One tent drew her attention more than any other however: An Illusionist. Roman didn't keep count, but they must have been in there for at least an hour; on her wishes.  
At times Roman even had trouble keeping up with her. Throughout the entire day the gambler couldn't help but feel the kind of joy he thought he'd lost the ability to feel a long time ago. After all she'd been through, she was still a child. And he was glad that he could allow her to act like one once again. But he also knew how cold this world could be; he only hoped the worst was over for her.

* * *

They decided to end the day at a lake after visiting an ice cream place at dawn, not too far away from Roman's apartment.  
As they are both sitting on a bench, looking over one of Vale's few in-kingdom lakes, Lake Smaragd, each of them is enjoying some frozen delight. Neo settled on a scoop of Mint Ice Cream, while Roman chose orange flavored frozen yoghurt. The city around them is brightly lit, but the energy of the daytime had calmed down. It was quiet; idyllic even. The silence is only broken by Neo's gleeful humming and that is only interrupted by her occasionally suffering light brain freeze.  
Roman looks over to her. She's holding her cone with both hands, her feet are dangling off the bench and rocking back and forth as she licks her frozen treat. The shining smile on her makes it look like she doesn't have a care in the world and at this moment she doesn't. After another instance of brain freeze that the happy little girl just shakes off, she notices Roman inspecting her. Without a second thought she smiles back at him. He laughs a bit nervous and looks back to the lake, taking another few licks of his frozen yoghurt, when she lets out a chuckle.

_*This was so much fun. I want to do it all over again already! I had only hoped I could one day see this city like that. I never thought it'd actually happen.*_

While in thought she is intently staring at Roman, who is still looking out towards the lake. Unlike Neo, his face seems to sadden a little.

_*Thank you, Roman.*_

She is starting to tear up again, when Roman starts talking: "This was nice and all, but we really should get you somewhere safe soon. Somewhere not with me."  
The nauseating feeling of being hit in the stomach comes over her. Her hands slowly lose grip of the cone.

_*Wh-what? Why? No, I'm safe with you, aren't I?*_

Turning around, he notices her teary eyes, which makes him feel even worse than he already does. "Look, I'm not exactly a good parent, ok? And that's what you need right now. A family." He extends a hand and puts it on her shoulder. "I got you out of there, but I can't _keep _you out of there. Staying with me will only get you in harm's way, sooner or later." He manages a weak, fake smile. "I _am _the mastermind of Vale after all, remember?"

_*I- But why- why can't I stay? I don't get it, I'll be in danger anyway! Everywhere I go, I know it! Please, why not let me stay with you?!*_

It doesn't take long before tears start streaming down her cheeks, even more than before. Nigh paralyzed by confusion and despair, she jumps forward and hugs him, holding him tight, almost clawing at him; begging him not to leave. But all he can do is hold her. He doesn't want to let go either, but it's the best option. For her.

* * *

After what feels like an eternity, Neo stops crying, not because she is calm, but rather because she has no more tears to give. The walk home can only be described as depressing. Gloomy, she trots along at Roman's side, who himself is feeling awful. Every time he looks down to his side he sees that small, broken, despondent girl. It hurts. He hates that he had to cut short her day like that, but that's how reality goes. For now he just wants to get home and rest. That'll be the best for the both of them.

Once back home they both quickly go to bed. Neo just lays down on the couch, facing it's back, while Roman falls into his bed.

* * *

The apartment is completely dark. Ever since laying down Neo has only moved inches, mostly just to curl up further. She can't sleep, the disheartening reality of what Roman said is still retching her.

_*How can I get him to not leave me? Can I stop him even? I couldn't stop them, how could I stop him?*_

Roman is also still battling with his choices; he has the entire night. If there was just some way he could make it work in his head, but he can't.  
Suddenly he is ripped from thought. The door. He can hear something at the door. A rattling; a familiar rattling. As soon as he realizes what it is, his eyes widen and he jumps out of bed, rushing into the living room to wake Neo. Luckily, she is already waking and setting herself up, because apparently the intruders had moved away from trying to pick the lock and are now trying a heavier approach. "Neo, get to the bathro-!" Is all he gets out before the lock on the door bursts apart and a brute tumbles into the room. Neo, startled, but now up, off the couch and on her feet, can make out only a few of the man's features thanks to the light coming from the hallway.

_*What?! What's happening? Who is-?*_

The top of his head is completely bandaged, but even despite that, he looks familiar to her. Then the realization hits her.

_*No... NO!*_

"Miss me, SCRAP!?" The brute shouts at her with his raspy voice, but quickly shifts his attention to Roman. "And you!" he points at his bandaged head. "YOU will regret this!" Roman, his cane hanging behind the Brute on the hatstand, can only answer with an unrelentingly determined face. He gives a last glance at Neo, then slowly moves back towards the kitchen. "I don't think I'm responsible for that ugly mug, sir."

"Take your time. I'll take mine with the child." A creepily calm voice sounds from behind the brute and suddenly another, very slender man walks in behind him, focusing his gaze entirely on Neo.  
"Will do." the brute's face contorts into a grin as he then storms towards Roman.  
"NEO, RUN!" But as Roman clashes with the brute, Neo is already running towards the bathroom. Her heart racing as she almost falls while rounding the corner and ripping open the bathroom door. She catches a glimpse of the thin, tall man, slowly coming around the corner into the dimly moonlit bedroom before she slams the door and locks it shut. Clutching her head she slips to the ground.

_*I don't wanna go back! I don't wanna go back! How!? How are they here? Why won't they just leave me alone?!*_

"You think this door will stop me?" the composure of his voice with which he is threatening her, even if muffled through the door, sends chills down her spine as she gasps for air. He starts banging on the door, shaking the door and sending the girl tumbling away from it. She scrambles into the shower tray and pushes herself into the wall adjacent to it, making herself as small as possible by wrapping her arms around her knees and putting her head on them.

_*Go away Go away Go away Go away Go Away GO AWAY GO AWAY! PLEASE!*_

The banging continues, over and over again, bending the door ever so slightly.  
Then all of a sudden, it stops. The girl is almost relieved, almost hopeful that it's over, but then she listens closer. She can still hear his footsteps in front of the door; quietly and few, but they're there. The near silence is quickly broken by a loud, screeching crack, as the villain breaks the lock with one strike. He wastes no time and enters the bathroom, pulling out his shimmering knife from the lock as he does; his stare fixed on the girl cowering in the corner.  
"There you are. Now, c'mere!" raising his voice just a little, he reaches for the small creature, grabs her by the collar of her shirt and rips her up to his eye level. She is shaking horribly, avoiding his stare at all costs, clasping at his hands hurting her collar.  
"Oh, does it hurt? Do you want me to let go?" A weak, shaky nod is all she can muster. In acknowledgment of her response, his face turns to sour rage. In one motion the slender villain turns around towards the bedroom and with all his strength hurls the girl across the room against the wall.  
The air is instantly pushed out of her lungs, spit and tears mix as they're shot off from her mouth and eyes and her vision gets a whole tone darker; As she drops onto the bed the whole rooms seems to be turning; she is struggling to breathe.

_*Wh-why? H-how did I deserve... this?*_

"My big friend over in the other room's got his ugly head mashed in. Wanna know why I'm so pissed?" For now he is only standing in the doorway to the bathroom. "You see, your little, **stupid **escape attempt, cost someone's life. And that someone just so happened to be my god-**damn **brother." The broken girl is starting to recover from the impact, her vision is still shaky, but she can breathe properly again and is trying to sit herself up. He, meanwhile starts taking steps towards her, flipping his knife between his fingers. "So this is the conundrum I currently have to solve. I obviously want to _**skewer **_your frail little body, but at the same time, the boss still needs you to work for us."

_*No... No work anymore... Never again. It was a promise!*_

Slowly she finds the strength to sit herself up again; her chest hurts, but she gets up on her knees at least. Tears are still streaming down her face, but she's facing him with teary eyes.  
"So what I'm thinking is: The customers won't mind a few cuts and scratches, right? If I _**restrain **_myself a little we can cover up some of the scars with your hair, it'll look just. Good. Enough." He spat out the last few words as he was crawling onto the bed to get closer to her.

_*N-not again. N-never again.*_

Wide-eyed and grinning ear to ear he raises the knife slightly above his eye level. "Let's start strong then!" And brings it down onto her. With only moments to react the girl raises her arms, lowers her head and closes her eyes in fear.  
The moment the knife hits her skin a faint, white Aura surrounds her, which breaks almost immediately after contact, but causes the knife to slip and only graze her. "What in the-!?" The madman almost slips himself, but manages to catch himself, even if only barely. Neo, who had felt the impact, opens her eyes and sees a chance; his focus is off of her. Without thinking much about it, she lunges forward and digs her teeth into his throat. With a bone chilling screech, he recoils backwards, shoving her off with one hand and clutching his wound with the other. They are both send backwards, Neo rolling off the bed. Quickly back on her feet she peeks over the bed to keep track of her opponent. He is still writhing in pain on the edge of the bed.

_*He's... He's hurt! I... I did that! I've hurt him! I can-*_

Then she spies the knife that he had dropped, shimmering in the moonlight, on the bed, right in front of her.  
"How in the... hell can you have an-?!" he is getting back into fighting shape. Or he could be for all Neo knew.  
She had decided. With all her remaining strength collected and determined to survive past this, she climbs up onto the bed, picking up the knife in the process and pushes herself off the bed, lunging at him once more.  
He, still only barely managing his wound, can't react in time and is send backwards rolling off the bed with Neo. His agonizing screams an indication that the knife had hit it's target and in a place where it hurt. They had rolled apart when they hit the floor, but as Neo looks down at her hands she still has the knife in her right; it's blade covered in a sticky red substance. He's now lying right before her, holding his throat and arm.

_*I can end this. Right here, I can end it!*_

Not letting her eyes wander off this wretched body, she steps towards it, raises the blade and brings it down into him over and over again.  
_*YOU PIG! THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOU DID THIS TO ME! I HATE YOU!*_  
The blood spews out from his wounds, drenching her shirt and jeans; splattering on her face and coating it in red.  
_*I win... I finally win! I beat you! I could finally beat you!*_  
She stabs, cuts and slashes until she can't move her arm anymore.  
_*I... I survived... you. I... I'll survive all of you.*_

After driving the knife into the lifeless mass one last time, but not finding the energy to pull it back out, she stumbles backwards and falls to the ground. Sitting, she breathes for a few moments. Just deep breathing.  
Only now does she take notice of everything around her.  
She notices how much her body is aching. It's feeling like it could fall apart at any moment.  
The puddle of red around the body that had spread across almost half the room and that she is currently sitting in. The red sticking to her hands and arms as she lifts them up briefly.  
The fact that it was completely silent, safe for her still racing heartbeat  
Her mouth that-

_*Am I-?*_

She reached up to touch her mouth to make sure she wasn't imagining things. She was smiling. At some point her lips had formed a weak, but sincere smile. And of course she was smiling. She did it. She successfully fought back. It was finally over... for now.  
Neo takes another deep breath then looks back at the abstract shape in front of her, glistening red in the moonlight; the knife still clearly sticking out of it.

_*All it took was such a small thing...*_

She sat there in silence for a bit, simply beholding.  
Until the silence was broken by a rumbling noise coming from within the apartment. Neo perks up, fixing her gaze to the door. A huffing coming closer and then Roman standing in the door. "Neo, are-" He doesn't finish his sentence until he's turned on the light. Blinded by it, Neo uses her arm to cover her eyes until they adjust. "-you ok?". Stunned by the scenery, he simply looks at Neo for a few seconds as she looks back.

_*R-roman, I...*_

She makes an attempt to get up, but her legs fail her. "Woah, careful now." Roman steps forward and catches her before she can collapse. "You... did this? That must have taken a lot of energy. You need to rest for now."

_*No... I just need... you to... help...*_

But he's right, she has depleted most of her energy at this point. But... lying in his arms like she is right now does feel quite comfortable. Her eyes want to finally fall shut, but she won't let them yet. With the last remainder of her strength she begins mouthing.

"S... t... a... y..."

Even in a situation like this, he manages to find a way to chuckle. "Of course I will. But you'll have to pull your weight too, ok? You got the spirit, I'll show you how to use it."

_*That's... all I ever wanted.*_

Neo smiles as she slips into unconsciousness.


End file.
